[Discussion] Downsizing/Minimizing Sneaker Collection or Quitting Collecting (WITH TIPS/RESOURCES)

[us3less]

50inchvert - it's a process that takes time, but it's doable. Is it a habit you're trying to break? Any tipping points? You gotta find your "why" and dig deep into it.

 

[snkrb0y]

Honestly, take the money aspect out of it. You'll never get back anywhere what you paid. It's what I did. Sold 135 or so pairs to one person. Got a check for the whole thing when he came to pick up. Yeah, it wasn't anywhere what I paid for them all, but some shoes were going back over 10 years, so that money spent on them is long gone.

Whatever I could get back in total was good for me. It was a fair number, and he was an guy in his late 30s getting back into it. He said he'll sell some off, definitely keep some and go from there. In the end, we were both very happy how the deal went. I got loads of space, money for my account, and he got shoes he never had before. Oh, and I got that huge weight off my back.

I'll always be a sneakerhead. I'm not coming on here and saying "I'm out". If I did, I'd be lying. I'll still buy pairs here and there. Definitely going to get the Flight Huarache when they release. But the days of buying for the sake of it (purely FOMO impulse) are long gone, and I'm glad. Once I get rid of the sporadic vintage OG stuff that I can't wear, then I'll feel really good.

I get where youre coming from, but at that many pairs the difference could easily be 10-20k+ Thats a bloody lot of mental weight haha.

Its not so much getting back what I've paid, rather than if I DO let the majority go Id want the absolute most for them to make it a worthwhile sacrifice.

Ive got a rough estimate of what they are worth market value. Obviously Id take a fair whack under that to see them all go at once, but knowing what a lot of these resellers etc like to pay itd be too low.

We shall see anyway.

If I can find something that makes me more excited than a portacabin rammed chokfull of shoes then they will go.

 

[pwguy]

I'm starting to work on getting rid of pairs, however, as someone who wears my shoes, it's so damn hard to sell used. Taking pics, creating a post, etc. It's so much easier to buy than to sell used; it really takes time and effort. Then the stupid hagglers trying to get a steal rather than a good reasonable deal. I'm really not liking this process.

 

[us3less]

I'm starting to work on getting rid of pairs, however, as someone who wears my shoes, it's so damn hard to sell used. Taking pics, creating a post, etc. It's so much easier to buy than to sell used; it really takes time and effort. Then the stupid hagglers trying to get a steal rather than a good reasonable deal. I'm really not liking this process.

That's personally one of my reasons to stop collecting. I really hate the hassle of taking the pictures and dealing with buyers who either aren't serious or are lowballers when I want to get rid of shoes I don't want anymore. Takes so much energy out of me.

 

[05fordgt]

I get where youre coming from, but at that many pairs the difference could easily be 10-20k+ Thats a bloody lot of mental weight haha.

Its not so much getting back what I've paid, rather than if I DO let the majority go Id want the absolute most for them to make it a worthwhile sacrifice.

Ive got a rough estimate of what they are worth market value. Obviously Id take a fair whack under that to see them all go at once, but knowing what a lot of these resellers etc like to pay itd be too low.

We shall see anyway.

If I can find something that makes me more excited than a portacabin rammed chokfull of shoes then they will go.

My pairs I sold weren't worth anywhere near that. I didn't have Hypebeast stuff. Just retros of shoes I liked and wanted when they originally released back in the day. For me, the buyer thought I wanted 5-figures for them. Told him it wasn't even close to that. Gave him one 4-digit number, a little steep, then I dropped a bit and we made a deal. The money wasn't the only motivating factor for me. It was just getting rid of the huge burden of these boxes and shoes in my garage (I'm in a townhouse so the garage is basically heated). Once they were gone, I honestly felt such a relief it was therapeutic.

You have to take out the whole "I want full retail for them" mindset. If you stick with that, you'll sell a few at a time but when you have a large collection, it can't literally take many months to a year to get rid of them all. I didn't have that kind of time.

I now look at my empty shelves in my garage (which I will also sell as these are some really high quality restaurant grade metal adjustables that weren't cheap when I bought them many years ago) and how I get to finally finish decorating the walls with all my car posters and my small Hot Wheels collection. It's gonna also give me room for a small work table in front of one of the cars so I can get back into plastic model car building and even working on custom painting a few pairs of all white driving shoes to specific racing liveries. It's opened up a door that I've been wanting to walk through for years and didn't have it in me to accomplish. Thankfully I have done that.

Oh, and you mentioning finding something that interests you more than the shoes. That is imperative to make it happen sooner than later. For me, I want another "toy" car. Nothing new, but something that is 25 years old, from the UK, so eligible to be imported with no restrictions in terms of passing any rules (we can import any car over 25 years old and take them for road use) for the weekend when I don't want to take my other "toy". Getting anything I can get for a bulk of my stuff I've amassed will help me reach that goal faster. Thankfully the car I hope to get is not very much, based on current exchange rates. Either that.

 

[bigevan23]

I'm starting to work on getting rid of pairs, however, as someone who wears my shoes, it's so damn hard to sell used. Taking pics, creating a post, etc. It's so much easier to buy than to sell used; it really takes time and effort. Then the stupid hagglers trying to get a steal rather than a good reasonable deal. I'm really not liking this process.

When I sold my big haul I'd say that 40% (~400 pairs) were used but the majority were pairs that were worth 3x-40x the purchase price (I negotiated a head of time). Knowing that the juice was worth the squeeze, I went through the process of taking pics of all of em. I actually slept overnight in a workshop and got it done in 36 hours. I also used the covetable new pairs I was selling as a bargaining chip to get better pricing on the VNDS pairs.

I'd start a spreadsheet. Name, Year, ID code, Condition (and be very honest upfront about that), send it over to the buyer...have them give you a back of the napkin price out. Now you know what you're putting in the work for. Then take the pictures, upload to a google drive and paste the link to the pictures in that spreadsheet. Little more negotiation and boom you're done. Each step in the process should give you more confidence and ultimately give yourself the permission to make it happen.

I realize this is an extreme use-case, but the psychology and rigor is universal.

 

[05fordgt]

I'm starting to work on getting rid of pairs, however, as someone who wears my shoes, it's so damn hard to sell used. Taking pics, creating a post, etc. It's so much easier to buy than to sell used; it really takes time and effort. Then the stupid hagglers trying to get a steal rather than a good reasonable deal. I'm really not liking this process.

I did it using a shared Google Album and that worked well for Craigslist. You can't post the album (they have blocks on that) but all I did was post photos of my 24 best pairs but in the ad I said "130+ collection for sale". Got plenty of emails asking for the album to see what else I had. Worked like a charm.

 

[05fordgt]

When I sold my big haul I'd say that 40% (~400 pairs) were used but the majority were pairs that were worth 3x-40x the purchase price (I negotiated a head of time). Knowing that the juice was worth the squeeze, I went through the process of taking pics of all of em. I actually slept overnight in a workshop and got it done in 36 hours. I also used the covetable new pairs I was selling as a bargaining chip to get better pricing on the VNDS pairs.

I'd start a spreadsheet. Name, Year, ID code, Condition (and be very honest upfront about that), send it over to the buyer...have them give you a back of the napkin price out. Now you know what you're putting in the work for. Then take the pictures, upload to a google drive and paste the link to the pictures in that spreadsheet. Little more negotiation and boom you're done. Each step in the process should give you more confidence and ultimately give yourself the permission to make it happen.

I realize this is an extreme use-case, but the psychology and rigor is universal.

THIS right here 100%!!

 

[pwguy]

When I sold my big haul I'd say that 40% (~400 pairs) were used but the majority were pairs that were worth 3x-40x the purchase price (I negotiated a head of time). Knowing that the juice was worth the squeeze, I went through the process of taking pics of all of em. I actually slept overnight in a workshop and got it done in 36 hours. I also used the covetable new pairs I was selling as a bargaining chip to get better pricing on the VNDS pairs.

I'd start a spreadsheet. Name, Year, ID code, Condition (and be very honest upfront about that), send it over to the buyer...have them give you a back of the napkin price out. Now you know what you're putting in the work for. Then take the pictures, upload to a google drive and paste the link to the pictures in that spreadsheet. Little more negotiation and boom you're done. Each step in the process should give you more confidence and ultimately give yourself the permission to make it happen.

I realize this is an extreme use-case, but the psychology and rigor is universal.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. How did you find pot'l buyers? Currently, I've committed myself to take pics and make a listing every 1-2 days, so at least over time I'll make progress. But then, as you said, it will take time to make a sale, which drags things out.

 

[pwguy]

I did it using a shared Google Album and that worked well for Craigslist. You can't post the album (they have blocks on that) but all I did was post photos of my 24 best pairs but in the ad I said "130+ collection for sale". Got plenty of emails asking for the album to see what else I had. Worked like a charm.

Cool. Didn't realize craigslist was still a thing ;-).

 

[05fordgt]

Cool. Didn't realize craigslist was still a thing ;-).

Neither did I. But I figured, why the hell not. It's free and only costs your time to make an ad. So worth the work.

 

[bigevan23]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. How did you find pot'l buyers? Currently, I've committed myself to take pics and make a listing every 1-2 days, so at least over time I'll make progress. But then, as you said, it will take time to make a sale, which drags things out.

I reached out to stores that I knew had good inventory (from being such a ridiculously consumed hunter for rarer pairs). Sole Supremacy, RIF LA, PDX portland, Urban Necessities, Flight Club, a few smaller shops in NYC etc and just broke it down for them. Once I had a list, it was easy to give them the scope of it all. They were all ready to pull the trigger but only 2 were willing to do a bulk cash out without me having to wait for each pair to sell through their store. Shipping across the country for a one time payment was well worth it vs local drop off and having to wait for the right buyer to visit their shop. Some pairs would have definitely netted me more return if I went the piecemeal, get paid as each sells route (given market fluctuations,) others would have gone down. Overall, the most important thing for me was cutting the cord and the weight that having that collection occupied in my brain.

 

[nstreak]

interesting watch, I've sold a lot over the years and only get the ones I NEED not want now...

 

[snkrb0y]

My pairs I sold weren't worth anywhere near that. I didn't have Hypebeast stuff. Just retros of shoes I liked and wanted when they originally released back in the day. For me, the buyer thought I wanted 5-figures for them. Told him it wasn't even close to that. Gave him one 4-digit number, a little steep, then I dropped a bit and we made a deal. The money wasn't the only motivating factor for me. It was just getting rid of the huge burden of these boxes and shoes in my garage (I'm in a townhouse so the garage is basically heated). Once they were gone, I honestly felt such a relief it was therapeutic.

You have to take out the whole "I want full retail for them" mindset. If you stick with that, you'll sell a few at a time but when you have a large collection, it can't literally take many months to a year to get rid of them all. I didn't have that kind of time.

I now look at my empty shelves in my garage (which I will also sell as these are some really high quality restaurant grade metal adjustables that weren't cheap when I bought them many years ago) and how I get to finally finish decorating the walls with all my car posters and my small Hot Wheels collection. It's gonna also give me room for a small work table in front of one of the cars so I can get back into plastic model car building and even working on custom painting a few pairs of all white driving shoes to specific racing liveries. It's opened up a door that I've been wanting to walk through for years and didn't have it in me to accomplish. Thankfully I have done that.

Oh, and you mentioning finding something that interests you more than the shoes. That is imperative to make it happen sooner than later. For me, I want another "toy" car. Nothing new, but something that is 25 years old, from the UK, so eligible to be imported with no restrictions in terms of passing any rules (we can import any car over 25 years old and take them for road use) for the weekend when I don't want to take my other "toy". Getting anything I can get for a bulk of my stuff I've amassed will help me reach that goal faster. Thankfully the car I hope to get is not very much, based on current exchange rates. Either that.

I've not got too much hype stuff either. Just a lot of pairs. As bigevan23 said, a big chunk are worth multiples of what I paid 4,5 or 6 years ago when AM1s were abundant for 50 quid in sales.

I assume maybe 70% is unworn. A lot of the others are pairs I bought used.

Thats the battle though, I assume resellers would offer 50%-70% of market value maximum? Well even at market prices (ebay, stockx or wherever less fees) of lets just say 140, if they offer 70% of market thats c. 100. You then take that 40 quid and times it by 400 shoes and youve got 16k. Thats a lot to leave on the table. I have a rough number in my head of what the lot are worth together.

If someone came and told me theyd pay me 16k to photo and list 400 pairs of shoes I wouldnt hesitate. Its more the time for them to actually sell I suppose.

What car are you looking at matey? Thats exactly the line of thought Ive been going down. Something absolutely ridiculous that I would never think of buying otherwise, perhaps that may also appreciate a little over 5 or 6 years.

 

[05fordgt]

I've not got too much hype stuff either. Just a lot of pairs. As bigevan23 said, a big chunk are worth multiples of what I paid 4,5 or 6 years ago when AM1s were abundant for 50 quid in sales.

I assume maybe 70% is unworn. A lot of the others are pairs I bought used.

Thats the battle though, I assume resellers would offer 50%-70% of market value maximum? Well even at market prices (ebay, stockx or wherever less fees) of lets just say 140, if they offer 70% of market thats c. 100. You then take that 40 quid and times it by 400 shoes and youve got 16k. Thats a lot to leave on the table. I have a rough number in my head of what the lot are worth together.

If someone came and told me theyd pay me 16k to photo and list 400 pairs of shoes I wouldnt hesitate. Its more the time for them to actually sell I suppose.

What car are you looking at matey? Thats exactly the line of thought Ive been going down. Something absolutely ridiculous that I would never think of buying otherwise, perhaps that may also appreciate a little over 5 or 6 years.

I want one of two things. Either save a bunch to use as a down payment for a used US spec Lotus Evora GT (wife has one and I freaking am IN LOVE. I want my own). The 2nd idea, would be to import an original Elise S1, the car we never got. I've seen some for roughly in the high teens to low 20s USD (after conversion). They are starting to pop up here sporadically but having a RHD car would be a blast and would really draw some attention.

 

[snkrb0y]

I want one of two things. Either save a bunch to use as a down payment for a used US spec Lotus Evora GT (wife has one and I freaking am IN LOVE. I want my own). The 2nd idea, would be to import an original Elise S1, the car we never got. I've seen some for roughly in the high teens to low 20s USD (after conversion). They are starting to pop up here sporadically but having a RHD car would be a blast and would really draw some attention.

Ahh very very cool. I never used to love the elise but they have grown on me hugely in the last few years. I used to have an MG back in my teens with the k series engine.

Its quite ironic really Im potentially looking at a US car over here in the UK but not really looked into importing, I assume the exchange rate my way kills it. Ive always wanted a 2nd Gen viper.

 

[05fordgt]

Ahh very very cool. I never used to love the elise but they have grown on me hugely in the last few years. I used to have an MG back in my teens with the k series engine.

Its quite ironic really Im potentially looking at a US car over here in the UK but not really looked into importing, I assume the exchange rate my way kills it. Ive always wanted a 2nd Gen viper.

That's awesome. 2nd gen, meaning the coupe? Or did you want the roadster?

 

[snkrb0y]

That's awesome. 2nd gen, meaning the coupe? Or did you want the roadster?

Yeah ideally blue coupe with the stripes. Ive had the die cast toy sat on my wall since 97 now. They seem to be gaining value pretty dam quickly however.

 

[cedric ceballos]

That's personally one of my reasons to stop collecting. I really hate the hassle of taking the pictures and dealing with buyers who either aren't serious or are lowballers when I want to get rid of shoes I don't want anymore. Takes so much energy out of me.

It’s just one pair. But I sold some south beach lebrons on eBay which I wore 3 times or so. But we’re just sitting in my closet.

I was flexible with the price while also mindful of seller fees. My mindset was pretty much make me any type of remotely decent offer and you can take them. Ended up getting a bunch of unreasonable offers which it auto declined. I sold them 3 times on there because the buyer didn’t pay the first go around. Was happy to get a good buyer on the 3rd go around who actually paid close to my asking price though.

You have to take out the whole "I want full retail for them" mindset. If you stick with that, you'll sell a few at a time but when you have a large collection, it can't literally take many months to a year to get rid of them all. I didn't have that kind of time.

This is so relatable. When I get back to downsizing, this is the approach I’m going to take. I got my use out of this stuff. I’m not trying to sit on it for months waiting to get some crazy price for it. Stuff is going to be priced decently and it’ll sell. There’s value in making more space for me and also in turning stuff that’s just sitting in my closet into money to where I don’t mind leaving money on the table in favor of quicker sales. Doesn’t mean I’m giving the stuff away, but I’m more flexible than I may have been under other circumstances.

 

[05fordgt]

Yeah ideally blue coupe with the stripes. Ive had the die cast toy sat on my wall since 97 now. They seem to be gaining value pretty dam quickly however.

Low mileage ones are. Just find one that's a decent example but not pristine so you can enjoy driving it and it shouldn't be too crazy price wise.

 

[pwguy]

Never sold on Goat before. They quote the fees and final amount you'll make, however, I think I recall someone saying they charge to transfer funds out to paypal/bank account? I don't want Goat credit. Can someone enlighten me? Thank you!

EDIT: Never mind; I see from their FAQ that's it's 2.9%. So they're really no better than SX. Only value would be to spread across platforms to try to keep under the $600 1099 limit. SX is easier b/c you don't even need to take pics.

 

[bigslim773]

Never sold on Goat before. They quote the fees and final amount you'll make, however, I think I recall someone saying they charge to transfer funds out to paypal/bank account? I don't want Goat credit. Can someone enlighten me? Thank you!

EDIT: Never mind; I see from their FAQ that's it's 2.9%. So they're really no better than SX. Only value would be to spread across platforms to try to keep under the $600 1099 limit. SX is easier b/c you don't even need to take pics.

ONCE YOU GET YOU SELLER LEVEL UP ON GOAT, YOU WONT HAVE TO TAKE PHOTOS.

ONLY PHOTOS OF USED STUFF.

BUT IT TAKES A LONG TIME TO BECOME A SELLER ON GOAT. TOOK ME OVER A YEAR TO BECOME ONE.

 

[50inchvert]

It’s just one pair. But I sold some south beach lebrons on eBay which I wore 3 times or so. But we’re just sitting in my closet.

I was flexible with the price while also mindful of seller fees. My mindset was pretty much make me any type of remotely decent offer and you can take them. Ended up getting a bunch of unreasonable offers which it auto declined. I sold them 3 times on there because the buyer didn’t pay the first go around. Was happy to get a good buyer on the 3rd go around who actually paid close to my asking price though.

1. This is so relatable. When I get back to downsizing, this is the approach I’m going to take. I got my use out of this stuff. I’m not trying to sit on it for months waiting to get some crazy price for it. Stuff is going to be priced decently and it’ll sell. There’s value in making more space for me and also in turning stuff that’s just sitting in my closet into money to where I don’t mind leaving money on the table in favor of quicker sales. Doesn’t mean I’m giving the stuff away, but I’m more flexible than I may have been under other circumstances.

I agree on the value of space and decluttering. The biggest drawback of being a shoe collector/sneakerhead/enthusiast/etc., is that you find yourself becoming a borderline hoarder. Having a massive amount of shoes is not like having a card, stamp or coin collection. Shoes are bulky and eventually become huge space eaters. It eventually becomes an added expense to even store the shoes in a organized or presentable manner or you end up being buried by them.

It's funny because a college buddy of mine bought a bigger house about a year ago because he said he was tired of keeping most of his shoes in storage and wanted a shoe room. His wife is pregnant again and to his dismay, she wants to convert that room to a nursery for the baby. I wonder who's going to win that battle?

I talked to him the other day and told him to holler at me when he needs help moving his ish back to storage because it's inevitable!

 

[05fordgt]

I agree on the value of space and decluttering. The biggest drawback of being a shoe collector/sneakerhead/enthusiast/etc., is that you find yourself becoming a borderline hoarder. Having a massive amount of shoes is not like having a card, stamp or coin collection. Shoes are bulky and eventually become huge space eaters. It eventually becomes an added expense to even store the shoes in a organized or presentable manner or you end up being buried by them.

It's funny because a college buddy of mine bought a bigger house about a year ago because he said he was tired of keeping most of his shoes in storage and wanted a shoe room. His wife is pregnant again and to his dismay, she wants to convert that room to a nursery for the baby. I wonder who's going to win that battle?

I talked to him the other day and told him to holler at me when he needs help moving his ish back to storage because it's inevitable!

I'm surprised his "epiphany moment" hasn't come yet, considering he has a child on the way with, I presume, one already here. If he really thinks he needs a "shoe room" over a new child nursery, he has his priorities all out of wack!

 

[bigslim773]

ONCE THE EPIPHANY MOMENT HITS, EVERYTHING MUST GO.

I DONT GIVE A DAMN ABOUT MAKING MY MONEY BACK, I JUST NEED EM GONE! SOME $$ IS BETTER THAN NO $$. I DONT HAVE TIME TO GO BACK AND FORTH WITH LOWBALLERS, ETC. YOU WANT THEM, YOU GOT THEM.